Good brined white cheese leaves the Bulgarian dairy at around €8.60 including VAT, estimates Vladislav Mikhaylov, chairman of the Management Board of the National Association of Dairy Processors. His calculation is based on the use of around seven litres of milk per kilogram of cheese, a milk price of 66 euro cents at the loading dock excluding VAT, and production costs for labour, social security contributions and other activities. “We arrive at a production cost of around €6.20 without packaging, add around 25 cents for packaging and get €6.50 without profit. With the profit, it becomes €7.20 plus VAT, giving us €8.60 at the dairy gate”, Mikhaylov told “Telegraf”.
According to him, the final shop price depends mainly on the retail chain’s markup. He points out that with a 100 percent markup, the cheese may reach between €10 and €16 per kilogram. Mikhaylov also links the higher production cost to the rising price of electricity for businesses, which, according to him, was around 82–85 percent above the level of the same month in 2025 in October 2026.
The dispute over direct deliveries
A draft of a new ordinance on direct deliveries by producers of small quantities of primary products and foods of animal origin is currently being discussed. The public consultation is open from 13 October to 12 November 2026.
The draft gives farmers the opportunity to process larger quantities of their own milk. However, the National Association of Dairy Processors does not support increasing the limits. According to Mikhaylov, this could deepen the shortage of Bulgarian raw materials.
“We believe this will lead to a shortage of Bulgarian raw materials, because our milk is already insufficient as it is”, Mikhaylov says.He claims that a large proportion of direct sales are carried out without sufficient tax and sanitary traceability. According to him, the products are often offered at farmers’ markets, where monitoring is more difficult, while some products are sold without refrigeration. Mikhaylov insists that farm-based facilities should implement a HACCP system to determine the critical points for safety and hygiene during production.
What will happen to the water in cheese
The other dispute concerns the planned changes to the requirements for dairy products. The Ministry of Agriculture proposes that the maximum water content for brined white cheese be 58 percent, compared with the previous limit of 60 percent. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Krum Nedelkov said the aim was to protect traditional Bulgarian dairy products and provide consumers with clearer information.
Mikhaylov supports the idea that products with excessive water content should not be called cheese, but objects to reducing the limit by two percentage points. He refers to the Codex Alimentarius and insists that the threshold remain at 60 percent. The international standard uses moisture and fat-content indicators when classifying cheeses, but specific names and requirements are also determined by national legislation.
According to the association’s chairman, cheeses produced under the Bulgarian State Standard and those with a protected designation of origin usually contain between 52 and 54 percent water and mature for between 45 and 60 days. For products with a water content above 60 percent, he uses the term “quick-ripening cheeses” and points out that they can be ready in around 10 days.
Kaliata and the production of kashkaval
Mikhaylov describes kaliata as a dairy semi-finished product that is widely used in the production of yellow cheeses in the European Union. According to him, the problem is not its production itself, but the improper application of the technology by some producers.
He claims that starch and whey protein may be added during melting instead of evaporation. According to him, this means that around one and a half kilograms of product can be obtained from one kilogram of raw material, which does not correspond to the traditional understanding of kashkaval.
The National Association of Dairy Processors supports the Agriculture Ministry’s intention to restrict the improper use of kaliata, but proposes that melting it during the production of kashkaval be prohibited, rather than banning the use of the semi-finished product itself.
Sources: telegraph.bg